Fifth-wheel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1v (No Model.)

G. NIELSON.

FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 578,022. Patented Mar, 2, 18 97.

l l l l l l i l (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. NIELSON] FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 578,022. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

%J 7 I Attorneys.

1w; nonms'hmas cc mmauma. \VASNINGTHN o c cated in Fig. 1.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHRISTEN NLELSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FlFTH -WH EEL.

sPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 578,022, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed December 9, 1395. Serial No. 571,536. (No model.)

'1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHRIsTEN NIELsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of-Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth Wheels, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels for trucks and other vehicles; andit consists of the hereinafter-described construction of a fifth-wheelcomposed of straight antifrictionrollers pillowed between plates havingconcave bearing-surfaces for the purpose of reducing the contact surfacebetween the roller and the bearing-plates and to resist lateraldislocation of the bearing-plates when the truck or vehicle is joltedsideWise.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein YFigure l is a plan, a part of the upper plate being broken away to showthe chain of rollers. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 3 indi- Fig. 3is the same sectional view showing, however, the upper plate displacedby jolt. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the upper and lower plates.Fig. 5 is also an enlarged section showing a modified construction ofthese plates. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the fore axle and the bed-beamof the truck. Fig. 7 is a top view of the center part of the fore axleof a truck, showing how my improved fifth-wheel is attached to avehicle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Heretofore the bearing-surfaces in fifthwheels, except in roller-bearings, have always been flat and the plates or disks have been constructedwith overlapping flanges or rims, these flanges having the function toprevent alateral dislocation of the bearing-plates. In suchconstruction, however, every jolt is apt to displace the upper plate tosuch an extent that the flanges of one plate would abut and pressagainst the other plate, thus increasing the friction and defeating thevery object of such fifth-wheels.

In fifth-wheels constructed as ball-bearings the bearing-plates are madeof semicircular channels,and the balls used in the bearings are dependedon for the maintaining of the bearin g-plates of the fifth-wheels inposition. In

this construction, however, the whole surface of the balls contacts withthe bearings and in case of jolt the pressure on the balls sidewisegreatly increases the friction. In spite of this the strain on theking-bolt is hardly any relieved, as the balls, originally snugly fittedin the channels or grooves, are soon Worked out of shape and size.

My improved fifth-Wheel is provided with bearing-plates having concavebearing-surfaces and cylindrical rollers connected in an endless chain,as described in United States Patent N 0. 543,720, granted to R. A.Berger July 30, 1895, set between the plates. In these bearing-platesthe rollers resist any jolt tending to displace the fifth-wheelsidewise, the edges of the rollers working against the curved surfacesof the plates, and if the bearing-plates should become displaced by ajolt the rollers will slide by the force of gravity until thebearing-plates will be brought again in horizontal and concentricposition. It is apparent that in this construction the con tact betweenthe rollers and the bearing-surfaces is reduced to a minimum, and therollers themselves will resist dislocation of the bearing-plates withoutincreasing in any Way the contact-surfaces or friction.

The bearing-plates shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are circular. The upperplate a is in shape of an inverted channel-iron. The bottom of thechannel is, however, concaved instead of flat. The bearing-surface oflower plate bis similarly shaped and beveled on its edges. Between thesebearing-plates I place the chain of rollers c, constructed as describedin United States Patent No. 543,720, issued to R. A. Berger for aroller-bearing, dated July 30, 1895, or I may use any other constructionof antifriction-rollers. Links (1 of this rollerchain or any similarconnecting device for antifriction-rollers do not reach across fromflange to flange of the upper plate, but are allowed a small clearancebetween the flanges. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified construction ofmyimproved bearing-plates havingv opposite flanges enlarged. Thisconstruction is, however, not in any way especially preferable to theone shown and described above. In a fifth-wheel constructed of suchbearingplates the concaved bearing-surfaces will opcrate as beforedescribed and the rollers will when the bearing should be j olted,workthemselves to normal position.

Various other shapes might be given to the bearing-plates. I have onlyshown this one modification to illustrate that my invention isapplicable to other fagons of bearing-plates with equal utility. I amaware that rollers have been placed between a channeled and a flatbearing-plate or between two oppositelyflanged angle-bearings. I am alsoaware that in fifth-wheels constructed as ball-bearings bearing-plateshaving semicircular grooves have been used, but I am not aware thatbear- 15 ing-plates having concave bearing-surfaces were used infifth-wheels in combination with cylindrical rollers.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent In fifthWheels the combination with straight cylindrical rollers ofbearing-plates having concave bearing-surfaces.

In witness that I claim the improvements described in the foregoingspecification I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

CHRISTEN NIELSON.

YVitnesses:

RICHARD I. ELLIOTT, JOHN P. NORDSTROM.

